Iran, Sextet must make simultaneous moves: Araqchi

A top Iranian nuclear negotiator says one of the main principles agreed on in the interim nuclear deal inked in Geneva is that Iran and six major world powers should take simultaneous steps.

“In our opinion, in the first step [of the way] all the measures that both sides are obligated to take must be simultaneous,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday.

On November 24, Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the US — plus Germany inked an interim deal in Geneva to set the stage for the full resolution of the West’s dispute with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.

As part of the Geneva deal, it was agreed that in exchange for limiting certain aspects of its nuclear activities, Iran would be provided with a certain amount of sanctions relief and no more nuclear-related sanctions would be imposed on the country for six months.

Araqchi further stated that the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the six powers in the nuclear talks with Iran, has assured the Iranian side that the Sextet “insists on implementing the Geneva deal and entering the final stage of the negotiations at the earliest.”

He, however, added that Iran cannot completely be confident about the six countries’ remarks.

“Lady Ashton has strongly insisted that the P5+1 is serious and determined to implement the Geneva deal and wants expert-level talks to end as soon as possible to start the implementation of the Geneva agreement at the earliest possible time,” Araqchi said, adding, “There are differences in interpretations of the Geneva deal which may prolong or make it difficult [for both sides] to reach an understanding or a common point.”

Expert-level talks between Iran and the six powers entered an unscheduled fourth day in Geneva on Sunday with the purpose of devising mechanisms to implement the landmark interim nuclear deal.

Araqchi said on Saturday that little progress has been made in the ongoing expert-level nuclear talks.

The Director General for Political and International Affairs at Iran Foreign Ministry Hamid Baeidinejad leads the Iranian delegation, which consists of experts from nuclear, banking, oil and transportation sectors.

Stephen Clement, an aide to Ashton, heads the opposite negotiating team.